even ted sorensen said that he was so brilliant. not just with words, but analyzing things.was like a lesson. he told me a lot of things that no one else could have told me and explained a lot of things that no one else could have explained. c-span: were part of this book was the hardest to research and write? >> guest: well, probably the hardest to write and research was the presidency. it was so poignant. see this powerful man, a very humble man, day after day. it was actually painful for me to learn about it. i mean, he couldn't go over to the white house on the rare occasion and watch how the kennedys lower-level people treated him. it was so horrible. sometimes when they were describing this to me, you felt that this was a terrible thing to happen to any human being. somebody said it was like a great bull put out to pasture late in life. c-span: was there a time at the end of 1968 where he was able to vent? >> guest: oh, yes. although we are going to see that, you know, bobby kennedy says to bobby baker at the democratic convention when johnson had insulted him and he c

. >> you know the name of ted sorensen who was one of the great wordsmiths for the kennedy presidency. i don't know if he ran for senator from new york but tried to and try to get it going to in 1970. rusher in 1970 is in his prime, 47 years old at that point, he has been a staple on talk radio in new york for the last ten years and he really knows what he is doing and loves to debate liberals on the air. there is a man who is still alive i believe and does a radio show in new york, internet radio, barry farber, very prominent host who greatly admired rusher, had two of them on. sorenson basically accuses "national review" of racism and extremism and associate that with nixon and george wallace and wants it all together, not a very intellectually impressive performance and rusher goes after him and keeps going after him and finally says, based on your performance tonight, you may think you're qualified to run for senator from new york the based on your hysterical performance tonight you would not be elected dogcatcher. sorensen says it seems to me your a being rather hysterical now an

. >> if you know the name of theater sorensen or ted sorensen who was one of the great word smith's for the kennedy presidency and i don't know if he ran for the senator of new york but he tried to to get it going in 1970, rusher in 1970 in this in his prime about 47-years-old at that point. he has been a stable on talk radio in new york for about the last ten years and he knows what he's doing and was to debate liberals on the air. there is a man that is still alive and as a radio show on new york who was then a very prominent post. they had the two of them on, and sorensen basically accused them of racism and extremism and kind of the seats that with nixon and george wallace and just as it altogether. not a very intellectually impressive performance. and rusher just goes after him and keeps coming after him and finally says, you know, based on your performance tonight he may think that you are qualified to run for the senate of new york but based on your hysterical performance tonight, you wouldn't be elected a dogcatcher said he says it seems to me you are being rather hysterical now

sometimes that rivalry happens and emerges, but a president is really best served by someone like ted sorensen the antiyes man for kennedy. kennedy trusted him and he would give him the unvarnished truth. and kennedy appreciated that. >> neil: i also think when you go outside the petri dish you can be richly rewarded. it needn't be is inly a businessman for treasurery or someone who fought in the trenches to be a defense secretary, as this designate has, but does help to have someone with practical knowledge of the field they're overseeing and what worries folks about jack lew, his academic credentials notwithstanding, he doesn't bring that experience to perhaps this most important of economic jobs. >> well, it certainly looks like jack lew is getting a promotion, and that may be part of the issue and the tension, and he has rubbed people the wrong way in washington. that's part of it, too. he is not the most easy going, likeable fellow so that's probably hurting him among those who are uncomfortable with his nomination. >> neil: do you think -- they would all say about john kennedy's cabinet,

>> and example of rusher -- [inaudible] >> i was wondering if you know the name of ted sorensen who was one of the great wordsmiths for the kennedy presidency. and i don't know if he ran for senator of new york that he tried to get it going. in 1970. rusher in 1970 is really in his prime. he's about 47 years old at that point. he is a staple in talk radio in new york for about the last 10 years and he really knows what he is doing and he loves to debate liberals on the air. there is a man who is still alive and i believe still does a radio show in new york, internet radio now ari farber who was then a very prominent host who greatly admired his rusher. he had the two of them on. sorensen basically accuses "national review" of racism and extremism and kind of associates that with nixon and george wallace and just lumps it altogether. not a very intellectually present performance and rusher just goes after him and keeps going after him and finally says you no, based on your performance tonight you may think you are qualified to run for senate of new york but based on your hysterical perfo